As an ex-Baptist, I'm all for stirring up controversy, kicking the nest a bit. The useful purpose of it to me, at least, is to get believers thinking about their views and holy texts in a different light. I recently had a great discussion with my very religious uncle about the Christian Bible and all the inconsistencies and contradictions therein. It was respectful and eye-opening for both of us. Unfortunately, in my experience, these discussions are rare. Everyone gets too offended and can't open their mind, it seems. If everyone can look at religion from a different perspective, perhaps we can ultimately eliminate the need for faith and rely on reason and science exclusively. And heated debates are a great way to move in that direction, I think.